Jenna Ortega. “I don’t want to influence the girls of my generation at all.”

January 2024: When Jenna Ortega walks the red carpet at the Emmy Awards, she appears in a gorgeous bed gown adorned with delicate embroidery. a creation requiring more than seven hundred hours of work signed by Maria Grazia Chiuri for Dior. The young actress, who recently became the ambassador for Dior Parfums and Jewelry, is the new face of the Dior Rose des Vents collection, designed by Victoire de Castellane. The Parisian luxury house did not make a mistake. Jenna Ortega is one of Hollywood’s rising stars. His fate changed at the end of 2022, a series. Jenna Ortega, barely 20 years old at the time, dazzles in the lead role of Wednesday, the new version of the Netflix universe. The Addams Family, with these crazy and non-conformist characters created in 1938 by comic book artist Charles Adams. After the legendary 1960s TV series and the 1990s movies with Anjelica Huston (and a very young Christina Ricci), this adaptation is helmed by gothic fantasy master Tim Burton.

The Gen Z-style revised plot focuses on the elder Addams, who are sent to a boarding school for misfits; imagine a mix of Harry Potter and Harry Potter. Carrie: Jenna Ortega with her braids and her unruffled pout is perfect, injecting a big dose of modernity into a franchise we know the codes for like the back of our hands (hello, The Thing). Tim Burton, who himself chose the young actress after a barely ten-minute audition via Zoom, is full of praise for his protégé. Jenna Ortega couldn’t have dreamed of a better dubbing, after ten years of selfless roles in soap operas, dubbing cartoons and movies. Like Ariana Grande or Zendaya, both from Disney Channel, Jenna Ortega has made her mark in youth fiction (her Disney hit. Harley, the least of my worries.)

Tim Burton, mentor and accomplice

He got his first casting at the age of 6 for a commercial. Obsessed with comedy, the little girl landed her first agency contract through a Facebook ad. His mother, a nurse, oversaw his beginnings, accompanying him to all castings. Mischievous, vivacious and hyper-expressive, Jenna sparkles. And it pays off. end of 2022, wednesday offers itself one of the best launches on the streaming platform, breaking the record Stranger Things, another teenage success. The brunette is becoming a viral phenomenon on social networks (she has 40 million followers on Instagram). Teens are re-enacting one of the series’ iconic scenes on TikTok over and over again, with Wednesday doing a crazy dance with eighties hit by the Crumps. At the beginning of 2023, it is the anointing. Jenna Ortega is nominated for a Golden Globe and a SAG Award. The following year, he was nominated for an “Emmy” award. He then emancipated himself with multiple notable film roles, particularly in the horror genre (he joined the saga Scream) for the second season wednesdaycurrently in production, he even takes on the role of co-producer, still alongside Tim Burton.

Having become her accomplice and mentor, the cult director compares her to “those silent actresses who are able to convey emotions only with their eyes.” On Wednesday, Jenna joins a Burton lineage that runs from Helena Bonham Carter to Eva Green with this feisty and quirky teenage character (see Dark shadows), including Christina Ricci (whom he turned into Sleepy hollow and who appears there wednesday) Even better, the director makes Jenna Ortega the missing link Beetle juice – she plays Winona Ryder’s daughter, the Burton muse BeetlejuiceBeetlejuice, the sequel to the 1988 cult film, which is slated for release next school year. The circle is complete.

Madame Figaro. – What made you want to become an actress? ?
Jenna Ortega. – I have always loved watching movies. As a kid, I was a big fan of young actresses like Dakota Fanning. I am very sensitive and touching others with a sense of play immediately fascinated me. When I discovered that storytelling was a real profession, it became my obsession. I should have become an actress.

You have worked hard since you were 6 years old. what memories do you have of that time? ?
One of my first acting memories is pretty funny… I was in elementary school and because I was missing class a lot because of being in commercials, I asked my theater teacher if I could get some credits to move up. participating in a play he directed, Peter Pan. He gave me the role of Putua, the youngest of the Lost Children… Bad luck, my dress tore in the middle of the show. I thought. “I will never go on stage again.” the filming of Iron Man 3 remains another strong memory. I was 11 years old, and it was my first big film, even if in the end I only appeared on the screen for seven seconds… I felt happy and proud to be part of this adventure. I played the daughter of the vice president of the USA, who is disabled with one leg in a wheelchair. For the scene, I had to pull my leg back while keeping it folded under my butt. I stayed in the same position for hours, not daring to get up or ask for something to eat or drink… I absolutely did not want to leave the set, not to miss any of this unique experience. When I got up, I fell because my leg was completely numb. It is true that I toured a lot in my childhood. Car rides with my mom are some of my best memories. He was the one who took me everywhere. We drove long hours between Los Angeles and the Coachella Valley where we lived. These were privileged moments of exchange. I don’t think we could have spent so much time talking together if I spent my days at school like all the other little girls and she at work like all the other moms. That’s really how I got to know him. And I appreciate our complicity.

I drew a lot as a child, and car trips with my mom are some of my best memories.

Jenna Ortega

Are you producing the second season of the series? wednesday What do you want to bring with the producer hat this time? ?
I tried to ensure that there were more horror elements in this second installment, because that’s really a genre of cinema that I’m a fan of. Each episode will almost be able to work separately. it will be very different from the first season. In the following years, I would like to switch to directing. But in any case, it is a bit early. For now I am focused on acting.

For the sequel, you worked with legends Winona Ryder and Tim Burton Beetle juice …
We immediately hit it off with Winona, she is extremely funny and warm. I have admired his work for so many years, it is a true source of inspiration. As for Tim, I cringed on set BeetlejuiceBeetlejuice to make sure I’m not dreaming. He is sometimes perceived as a serious and reserved person… That is absolutely true. But above all, it’s kind of an adorable creature. He is very concerned about the welfare of his team. His door is always open if you need to talk. Our first meeting was wednesday. It only lasted ten minutes, but we fell in love instantly. Now that I’ve gotten to know him well, I realize that we have things in common, like a rather unique sense of humor. We laugh a lot at our own jokes. Obviously, we also have this taste for weird cinema in common. I keep asking him for movie links to watch, he knows everything, he’s an incredible movie buff.

You are in control of your life. Be weird or not… but be yourself.

Jenna Ortega

Do you feel you have a responsibility to the young women of your generation who see you as a role model? ?
I don’t want to influence girls of my generation at all, but rather encourage them to do what makes them happy. We have a similar tendency to let things happen, to accept unacceptable behavior in order to be liked or appreciated, to conform to this or that fleeting dictate of social media. It is important for me that everyone finds their own way: you manage your life, your body, your destiny. Be weird or not… but be yourself.

You are an ambassador for Dior Perfume and Jewelry. What does this mean for you? ?
I still have a hard time measuring how successful I am. It is a house where two prominent women work. The creations of Dior’s artistic director of jewelry, Victoire de Castellane, and artistic director of women’s collections, Maria Grazia Chiuri, are so elegant, so refined, that they are true works of art. When I wear them, I hardly dare to touch them. The house of Dior received me very warmly. It is important for me to be in a positive and caring work environment. I feel so strong and powerful when I wear a Dior creation, it’s extraordinary.

How would you define your style? ?
In everyday life, I would say that I am quite classic. No extravagant, no flashy colors… I like neutral tones, basics. I often wear black dresses or white t-shirts… I would say I have quite an androgynous style. There are many people whose looks I admire even though they are obviously very different from me, like Jane Birkin. It’s a timeless icon.

BeetlejuiceBeetlejuice , By Tim Barton. In cinemas from September 11.